August 2023

Bird Sightings

In comparison to last August, this August was much wetter. While the mean temperatures were similar, the rainfall this August was two and half times larger than the rainfall of last August. July and August were two rather unsettled summer months.

Having said that, summer visitors were still to the fore including a family group of Common Sandpiper at Carlo on 1^st, a family of Spotted Flycatcher at Clauchlands on 2^nd, a family of Whinchat in Glen Rosa on 7^th, thirty-five Willow Warbler and eighteen Tree Pipit in Corriecravie on 9^th, nine Lesser Black-backed Gull in Lamlash on 16^th and a Swift over Braehead Farm on 22^nd. The largest group of each hirundine reported was seventy House Martin at Dun Fionn on 13^th, thirty-two Swallow at High Whitefarland on 14^th and thirty Sand Martin in Glen Catacol on 17th. Please try to give me your last record for Swallow and House Martin this year. Last year there were October records for both species. To date I have received no August records of Cuckoo.

Some other signs of successful breeding this month included: a female Red-breasted Merganser with four large young at Pirnmill on 1^st, young Little Grebe in Mossend Pond on 22^nd, a pair of Mute Swan with six large young in Machrie Bay on 24, four fledged Grey Heron in Lagg 26^th, and several reports of young Great Spotted Woodpecker visiting gardens including Shannochie on 30^th. As well as this, there were widespread reports of young familiar garden birds visiting feeders. This breeding success of ”prey” species was reflected in over thirty reports of Sparrowhawk, many of them young birds hunting in gardens in Arran.

In August, breeding is coming to an end, birds begin to disperse, and a number of species begin to flock together, some in preparation for migration. These included: twenty Redshank at Sandbraes on 15^th, sixty Siskin in Lochranza on 16^th, two hundred Kittiwake at Fisherman’s Walk on 24^th, fifty-three Golden Plover at Machriewaterfoot on 30^th, thirty-two Curlew at Cosyden also on 30^th and one hundred Meadow Pipit, one hundred and fifty Starling and two hundred Linnet all at Sliddery on 31^st.

All around the island, but particularly on the coast, there were signs of birds on migration, including; an Arctic Tern and five Wheatear at Drumadoon Point on 8^th, on Osprey over Lenimore on 8^th, a Greenshank and two Sandwich Tern at Sandbraes on 15^th, two Knot in Cordon on 16^th, two Sanderling and twelve Turnstone at Drumadoon Point on 20^th, twelve Dunlin in Blackwaterfoot on 22^nd, two Bar-tailed Godwit on Cleats Shore on 28^th, and ten White Wagtail in Sliddery Shore on 31^st. Last August there was twenty reports of dispersing Kingfisher. This year there were none. However Little Egret did feature with a single bird in Lochranza from 20^th to 24^th. In addition, there was the first ever report on Arran of a dispersing Reed Warbler. This record is awaiting ratification by the rarities committee and should feature in a future “Banner” bird note.

Among the one hundred plus species reported in August there were a number of other noteworthy ones including: forty Manx Shearwater off Pirnmill on 2 August, three hundred Gannet off Clauchlands Point on 8 August, fourteen Black-throated Diver in Machrie Bay on 11 August, three Red-throated Diver off Pirnmill also on 11 August, eighty Jackdaw on Shiskine Golf Course, three hundred and fifty Woodpigeon at Cordon on 28^th and a White-tailed Eagle off the west coast on 30th. Last but by no means least in a month of exceptional records, there was a report of a Sooty Shearwater off Arran. This record is also awaiting ratification by the rarities committee. Sooty Shearwater breed in the southern hemisphere in, for example New Zealand. It should feature in a future “Banner” bird note.

September sees the start of the peak migration season when many birds are on the move. It is the time to expect the unexpected. I look forward to hearing from you.